Sewing-machine.



T. G. PLANT. SEWING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED APR. 17, 1907. RENEWED APR. 14, 1909.

940,724. Patented Nov. 23, 1909. 4 SHEETSSHEET 1.

zaz inemseqs Invenior JAM T. G. PLANT. SEWING MACHINE.

RENEWED APR. 14. 1909.

AIPLIGATION FILED APR.17.1907, 940,724E Patented Nov. 23, 1909. 4 SHEETS-SHEET 2- Inca-r1301.- JLM f/ 29 Zazinameew ya/Q%f% RENEWED APR. 14, 1909.

Patented Nov. 23, 1909.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

wz'inamses L- cggy 525/ZfiM. #3 ww T. G. PLANT SEWING MAGEINEJ APPLICATION FILED APR,17. 1907. RENEWED APR.14,1909.

940,724. Patented Nov. 23, 1909.

mm w Invereinr 4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

SEWING-MACHINE.

ham.

Specification of Letters Patent.

- Patented Nov. 23, 19419.

"Application filed April 17, 1907, Serial No. 368,618. Renewed April 14, 1909. Serial No. 189,889.

machines, extensively used in the manufacture of boots and shoes, and because of its especial utility in connection with machines of this type I shall illustrate and describe my invention in connection with such a machine without, however, limiting my invention thereto.

My invention relates more particularly to a gage or support for the shoe or work and to means for operating and retainingit in desired position. p

. .The accompanying drawings illustrate one embodiment of my invention, and, referring thereto: Figure 1 represents in front elevation typical welt or turn shoe sew.- ing machine; Fig. 2, a vertical section on the dotted line 2 -2, Fig. 1, looking to the 'left;"Fig. 3, a vertical section on the dotted line 33, Fig. 1, looking to the. right, this view being upon an enlarged scale; Fig. 4, a plan view, partial section, of a gage and its support illustrating my invention, in connection with parts adapted to o erat-e in connection therewith; Fig. 5, a etail to be referred to; Fig. 6, a cross sectional detail onthe dotted line 6-6, Fig. firemd Fig. 7, another, sectional detail to be referred to, on the dotted line 5-5, Fig. 5.

For the pur ose of disclosing my invention, I have il ustrated the same in connection wlth a welt and turn sewing machine of well known type, but it should be understood, however, that said machine is merely typical and that my invention is applicable to other types and constructions ,of machines wherever it may be found useful.

Referring to Fig. 1, the bed plate 1, the" standards 2 erected thereon carryin the main shaftfi, the curved needle 16 Figs.

2 and 3), its operating link 11 and lever- 6 operated from a earn 4 (Fig. 1), are typicalof this well known character of machines.

close of the feed, constitutes a The awl-carrying segment 18, its awl 19 mounted upon the usual feed slide 21 and actuated in suitable manner, the feed slide operating lever 24, controlled by a cam 27 and the channel feed guide 30 mounted on said slide, the looper 36, its operating mechanism, the vertically movable .stitch and substance protecting point 83 (F ig. 3) and,

its operating means, the slide rest ten sion wheel 1 19, ma n take-up 159 and the several thread guides and .threadtrucks associated therewith are, and may be, considered as typical to .cdrresponding'mech:

anisms in other machines.

The back slide rest 98 has its slide bar 99 however, this back gage is mounted upon the end of a rearwardly extended slide bar which is withdrawn prior to or during each feed of the shoe, so as to withdraw the back gage from possible. interference therewith, and is then freed and permitted to spring forward under the considerable stress of its actuating spring, to find the work in its new position where it is usually locked to furnish a support for the work adjacent or opposite the.

sole, to resist the action thereat of the stitch forming devices. The slide rest.98 is-smnlarly drawn normally forward by its spring 100, as shown best in Fig. 3', but is permitted customarily, to bear constantly upon the work below the sole and opposite the last, the spring permitting the slide rest to go and come as may be necessary to follow the changing shapes of the work presented to it, said slide rest being locked automatically by its pawl in the position where it is found just prior to the formationof each stitch. The object of the slide rest and the back gage, as will be gathered from the above, is to furnish asuitable support for the work during the formation and setting of the stitches. It has been found, however, in practice that the back gage, when operated as has heretofore been customary, by with drawing it from the work prior to the feed and ermitting it tebe snapped or drawn .quick ly forward against the work at the serious disturbing element in the machine, owing to the impact of its rapid reciprocations. Not only positely facing channel feed guide in the bottom of the channel, in which it usually runs. The insole of a shoe is usually formed of a soft or spongy stock and, is easily penetrable so that the necessarily sharp edge of the channel guide is usually forced by these rapid blows into the bottom ofthe channel and more or less through what is known as the between substance constituting said bottom, thereby weakening the sole at that point, making it also diflicult to feed the work. With these objections in mind, the back gage, marked 107 in the accompanying drawings, is not herein rigidly mounted upon the usual slide bar as heretofore but (see Fig. 3) is mounted upon the leading end of a relatively light auxiliary slide a. This auxiliary slide is mounted to slide in the.

same guideway with the main slide bar, herein marked 75, the two forming'in efiect a two-part bar. Behind the auxiliary bar a is arranged a light spring 0, seated at its opposite end against a lug 0 on the main bar, said spring tending to maintain the a iliary bar,normally n an extreme forward or feeling main bar. The two ars are, however, suit ably connected as by a clutch, shown as a roller clutch d, pressed by its relatively light spring 03' normally into engagement with the inclined clutch plate d whereby any forward movement of the, main bar relative to or independent of the auxiliary. bar will cause the two to be ,locked together and to be separated from top'to bottom and'both thereby wedged or locked in the guideway in which they are mounted.

If the main bar be withdrawn as heretofore customary, the auxiliary bar will be correspondingly withdrawn, the two bars being provided with n aging surfaces-at (Z for this purpose. Vl hen, however, the main bar is permitted or caused to be moved forward the auxiliary bar will likewise be moved forward with it, impelled by the light spring a, the two movin in unison until the back gage upon the 1% ing end of the auxiliary bar, which serves as a feeling age,

to furnish a substantial andsuflicient back osition relative to its gage 'or support for the work adjacent thereto. 3 a

To reciprocate the main slide bar I) in one direction (see Fig. 2) I have provided a spring 7), connecting the end of. said bar with the machine head. To move it in an opposite direction the same is surrounded by a clutch member I) which (see Fig. 3) is suitably mounted at b upon the lower end of a lever b; fulcrumed at b on the head and operated at its upper end by a earn 6 (see Fig. 2).

The clutch member I)" is held normally in a position of disengagement with the said her by a spring I) (Fig. 3) which holds the said clutch member normally in an upright position where it slides freely in both directions on said bar. The moment, however, the clutch b is tip ed about its lower end I) it will grip the sh e bar and cause the latter to be moved. To this end, immediately above the clutch 6 (see Figs. 5, 6 and 7 the machine head is provided with a rearwardly extended stud 6 upon which .is

-mounted to slide freely a stop sleeve e, in the end ofwhich is an adjustable stop screw 6 This sleeve is provided atits outer end with a flange e and is drawn by a spring e" connected With the head, normally .to its innermost position determined by said ad justable screw 6' The flange 6 stands in the path of movement of the clutch b :so'

that assaid clutch is drawn rearwardly by its lever b it moves idly along the slide bar I) until its upper end engages the saidflange 6 which causes the clutch to be tipped togrip the slide bar I) and, for the balance of its movement, cause said slide bar tb move with it, thereby withdrawing said bar-and the auxiliary bar and its back gage, from the work. The distance through which the withdrawal of the slide bars thus occurs is,

of course, determined by'the position of the flanged sleeve and the point at which it will cause the clutch to be moved to grip.

the slide bar. If said sleeve be adjusted inward it will cause an earlier -engagement of the clutch with its slide bar and a correspondingly lon er movement or withdrawal. Converse y, if'it be adjusted rearward the engagement of the clutch will be] later and the resultant movement of the slide bar less, but the movement is'always uniform for an slide bar.

Return movement of the clutch leverb given adjustment of the sleeve, irrespective of theposition'of the permits the slide bar, still under the control of the clutch, to be drawn forward by its" spring I), the flange sleeve following it,

drawn by its own spring a until said sleeve is arrested by contact of its stop screw with the stud a (Fig. 7 whereupon the clutch 6 being no longer controlled by a stronger spring, is free to be tipped by its own spring into upright position to free theslide bar. If the 'work moved into position in front of the back gage is more remote from said gage than previously, then the said slide bar with its auxiliary bar and the back gage are free to be drawn by the spring 6 forward through the clutch, after the latter has come to rest and until said gage is arrested by the work, as described. If, on the other hand, the work moved into position is such as to call for a more inward position of the said back gage, then said gage will contact with the work and cause its auxiliary and main slide bars td be locked before the clutch has com pleted its forward movement, in which. case the clutch may continue its movement without correspondingly moving its slide bar;

draw its slide bar rearward or to control its forward movement so long as the spring action tending to 'move its slide bar forward exceeds or keeps in advance of the travel of the clutch. VVhen the movement of theslide bar is arrested the clutch is free to continue its movement, or, when the clutch is straightened to release the slide barpthe latter is free to. continue its movement.

With the machine in operation, the parts described operate as follows: After the formation of each stitch and preparatory to the next stitch the work is fed forward by the awl', in a manner well understood by those skilled in the art. Preparatory to such movement the clutch is drawn rearward to draw also rearward the two slide bars and the back gage. Immediately upon completion of the feed the clutch, under the control of ness a l? response but its init contact or impa of the back gage wit he work is so as to be scarcely (let table;- yet it can. instant lockingof the, gage, to give it that firmness and rigidity so necessary to successful sewing and otherwise usually had only by making it of sub'stantial weight and impelled by a strong-springer equivalent motive power. My improved gage therefore and the manner of moving it, combine the utmost strength and rigidity of support with the lightest possible and most delicate action and. contact. with the )vork. In practice, this is found greatly to improve the product of the machine.

.To guard against accidental. release of the lock and displacementof the parts by conthe head.

' mental. plate 5 (see. Fig. 3)

tact with the leading end of the main slide bar or otherwise, I prefer to use in connection with the construction just. described the usual ratchet lock, comprising the pawl 113.

In such event, the two pawls 113 and 10% will have their tails 115, 116 arrangedto be moved for release of the pawls by the end 118 of a lever 119, fulcrunied at 120 and controlled by a cam operating upon the roller stud 121'.

The'welt, marked V (Fig. 3), which is the part with which the back gage ordinarily contacts, is usually of a soft material and led by nicely adjusted means into proper position to be penetrated by the needle 16 as it advances. This makes it extremely desi-rable to provide a. back gage means such as herein described, which will furnish the required firm support yet which will advance with so little disturbing action that it will not embed itself in or cause displacement of the welt itself nor penetration'of the between substance at the,bottom of the channel by the relatively sharp channel guide.

' in Patent No. 877,858, dated January. 28, 1908, I have shown and described means operated upon'thestopping of the machine for'severing the welt leading from the welt supply to the work so- 21S' t0 permit ready removalnf the work, said severing means operating also to seize andjhold the supply end of the severedwelt in position to receive the initial needle thrust upon the beginning of work on the next succeeding shoe. Such a welt severing and holding means is herein illustrated, the same comprising the cutting and end holding shears 136,139, the shear member 136 being pivoted at 137 upon the member 139 or the shank thereof, and having its extended end herein connected by alink f with a segment-ally shaped 7 plate f (Fig.

's, plate is provided with a treadle rod 7"" the treadle of which is positioned for conyenient operation upon the stopping of tlnfinachine. "When this treadle rod is depressed its segmental plate f is rocked to cause the welt cutting device to be advanced in diagonally upward direction and when the lined member 139 reaches the limit of its forward movement further movement of the said segmental plate will cause 3), fulcrumed at f upon the movable member 137' to close upon it.

thereby to sever the welt and hold the supply end thereof. In order that this welt severing device may be advanced into the preferred position relative to the welt to be.

severed, it should occupy a place coincident with or near tp that occupied by the back gage described, making it desirable to withdraw the back gage when the welt severing device is advanced. To this end, the segits inner face with a stud f", shown in dotted is provided at.

- arm f,ful crumed at f, on the head. This arm is acted upon tomove it to its normal position by aspring f? and at its upper end is connected at f with the inner end of a stop rod 7, the free end of which furnishes the stop to limit forward movement of saidmain slide bar and consequently the forward position of, the back gage. To this end the said slide bar, opposite the end of said stop rod, is provided with-a stud f5", which, when "the stop rod is innormal position, rests against the rear end thereof for the purpose described. This stop rod serves also astheand, conversely, wh

cutting device is a v'anced't-he back gage is to give it clearance withdrawn, sufiicien lg e the welt cutting device 15 withdrawn, the back gage is permitted to advance to its proper position, or at least a clearance is made forits advance when necessary.

In still another co-pending pplication, 'file'd by me Sept. 24,1906, Ser. 335,903, I

have shown and described stitch tightening devices in the form of nip ers or'pincers,

, adapted to seize the .stran s of the needle loop andmove the same substantially in the direction of the stitches totighen the latter independently of the needle or other tighten-.

' operated through the medium of a cam lever 'ing device and the said stitch'iftightening pincers were mounted upon the'back gage slide so as to be advanced and retracted with it. The pincer-s are herein shown, marked 54-, 55 (Figs. 3 and-). .Ihese pincers are 61 from a cam upon thexmain-shaft. .Since these pincers in themselves form no'- part-of. the present invention, it is unnecessary fur ther to describe them herein, my presentimvention so far as concerns the same, or their equivalenF, relating to the combination of.

the same with the other devices herein disclosed. Whatever the constru tion' of these stitch tightening .devlces or t fe equivalent thereof,- .the same are withdrawn with the .main' slide bar I) and the back gage to give clearance to the welt cutting device.

-To permit of independent movement of the main slide without losing its effective relationship to. the stop 'rod f, the latter is provided with a rearwardly extended tail piece that overlies the stud f with which it cooperates.

r 'By proper spacing of the interlocking sur- "main slide ba faces d to ermit of the requisite movement of the auxi iiry slide bar a relative to the 'd, or vice versa, t is POSSlblB',

. gage, means to. move said should it be desired, to permit the back gage 107 to remain in constant engagement with the, welt or the work and. tofollow the changing contour thereoflike the back slide 'rest 98, the main slide bar I) being-advanced at the proper time to lock the auxiliary bar and its back gage frictionally in position. Such arr-arrangement would retain some of v the advantageous features possessed by the construction operating as first above stated. |The part that travels in contact with the workwould be very light and not calculated to bunch the welt or unduly to indent or im ress'it. I

aving described my invention and without limiting the same to details what I-claim and desire to secure by-Letters Patent is:

1.1 A sewing machine comprising in its construction'a gage movable re ative to the work, means to cause said gage to move forward to feel for t-he'w'ork, and a lock rendered efi'ective bythegage finding the work to lockthe gage in position. 2. A'sewlng machine comprising in' its construction .agage movable relative to the work, yieldin means to cause the gage to move forwa-r to feel for the work, and means rendered, effective by feeling contact of the ga e with the work to lock the gage from furt er forward movement.' 95

3. A sewing machine provided withaagage, means to move it toward and from the work, and lockin means operable by contact of said gage witfithe work to lock the gage against movement. v 100 4. A sewing machine provided with a gage, means to move it toward and from the work, and locking means dependent for its lockingoperation upon contact of saidgage with the work to lock the gage against 105 movement in a plurality of. direct1ons. 5. A sewing. machine provided with a gage anda two-part support therefor, means to reciprocatesaid gage and its support, and means operated by relative "movement be tween the-two parts thereof to lock said gage in position.

6. 'A sewing machine provided with a gage and a two-part support therefor,

port, and means operated y relative movement between the two parts thereof to lock said gage against forward movement.

7. A sewing machine provided with agage toward the work, and means rendered 'e ective by con,- tact withthe work to lock said gage in position. 8; Ag sewing machine .provided with a ward the work, means towithdraw the gage periodically from'the' vfork, and means rendered effective upon contact of the gage with the work to lock the'sanie in position.

9; A sewing machine provided'witha 130 means to-reciprocate saidage and its sup- 115 v gage, a spring to press thesame normally toaroma gage, 'a movable carrier therefor and by clutch between said parts, and means to permit relative movement of said parts. when the gage meets the work to lock said gage in position. 1 12. A sewing machine provided with a gage, means to move it into variable position toward the work, a lock operated by'contact with the work to lock the gage'in position and means to move ita given distance away from each such variable position.

13. A sewing machine provided with a gage, means to move it into variable position toward the work, a lock operated by contact of the gage with the work to lock the gage 1n positionand means to move it in an opposite direction always a predetermined but adjustahle distance.

14-. A sewing machine provided with a gage, a spring to move ,it forward, a lock operated by contact of the gage with the work to lock the gage in position, a clutch to move it backward, and an adjustable clutch actuating device.

15. A sewing machine provided with a gage, a s'pringlto move it forward, a clutch to move it backward, and an adjustable clutch actuating device adjustably supported.

16. A sewing machine provided with a gage the main and auxiliary slides therefor, the spring I) for moving the main slide forward, the clutch b for withdrawing the main slide, means to operate it, and the spring controlled adjustable sleeve econtrollingsaid clutch. i

17. A sewing machine provided with a gage, means to move it toward and away from the work, work contacting means to lock it in position, and stitch tightening means connected therewith and adjusted 1 4 ,Q tnereby.

18. A sewing machine provided with a ,.gage, means to move it toward and away from t, e work, work contacting means to lock it in position, and stitch tightening pincers connected therewith and adjusts thereby.

19. A sewing machine provided with a gage, meansincluding a clutch and spring to move itin opposite directions, work contacting means for locking said gage in position, welt cutting means, and means connected therewith and with said gage to cause simultaneous movement of the two.

. 20. A sewing machine provided with a gage, means to move it' in opposite directions',v work contacting means for locking said gage in position, welt cutting means, and means connected therewith and with said "gage to cause movement of one upon movement of the other.

21. A sewing machine provided with a gage, means to move it in opposite direc-- tions, work contacting means for locking said gage 1n position, welt cutting means,

and means connected therewith and with said gage to cause withdrawal of the former upon movement of the latter into operative position. l

22. A sewing achine containing in combination a gage, means to move it to and from the work, means to lock said gage in position, welt cutting means, and connections for moving said gage and cutting means, one upon movement of the other.

23. A sewing machine containing in'combination a gage, means to move it to and from the Work, locking means for the gage, stitch tightening means connected with and to be moved by said gage, welt cutting means, and connections for withdrawing said gage and tightening means upon advance of said cutting means.

24,-. A sewing machine provided with a feeling back gage, and means to move it toward and from the work combined with toward the work and locking means therefor, a back gage, work contacting means to lock it, and a back gage support with looking means therefor operable simultaneously with said slide rest locking means. 7

27. A sewing machine provided with a gage adapted for contact with the work and to assume diiferent positions according to the-changing contour of the work-combined with means operable by contactfwith the work to lock said gage in position against movement. I i

28. A sewing machine provided with a gage adapted for contact with the work and V the changing contour of' the work com- .to assume different positions according to bined with friction means operable by con- 1 lock said back gage in Work contacting posi 1o tact-of the gage with the work to look said tion.

gage in position. p In testimony whereof, I have signed my 29. A sewing machine comprising a work name to this specification, in the presence of feeling back gage combined with a slide bar twosubscribing Witnesses.

operated from the back of the machine and THOMAS G. PLANT.- extended through toward the front thereof, \Vitnesses: and locking means operated by relative FREDERICK L. EMERY,

movement of the slide'bar and back gage to ROBERT H; KAMMLER. 

